I have not been paid by any entity in any way (financially, benefits) to write this Avianca Economy Class review. Take precautions when traveling; please stay safe and consult local, state, and national authorities for guidance on traveling.

Trip: IAD-BOG, BOG-CTG, CTG-MIA, MIA-DCA

Avianca is the flag carrier of Colombia, serving as one of the largest airlines in Latin America. Today I was flying onboard their A320neo in economy from Washington Dulles to Bogota, Colombia.

Quick Take: Avianca Economy Class Review

Category	Rating (Out of 10)
Seat Comfort	😐 5/10
Dining & Beverages	😐 5/10
Service & Crew	✅ 7/10
Lounge Access	✅ N/A
Value for Points/Cash	✅ 8/10

Good economy class for a short-flight, but admittedly is very no-frills and not comfortable for long distances.

Flight Details

Airline: Avianca
Flight: AV 149
Route: Washington Dulles (IAD) – Bogota (BOG)
Cabin Class: Plus
Aircraft: Airbus A320neo
Seat: 12D
Booking Method: Avianca LifeMiles
Cost: 18,360 Miles + $45 USD
Date: February 21, 2024
Flight Time: 5h 10m

Preflight Experience at Dulles

These early morning flights are brutal for me. I was coming in from Washington, D.C., which means a 45-minute ride over to Washington Dulles. Waking up early is not my forte, but at this early hour, I don’t even get rewarded with lounge access because most lounges at Dulles open well after our departure time.

Boarding requires having a physical boarding pass and your passport ready for agent verification. Unfortunately, I could not board with the Star Alliance Gold members since I only had a virtual boarding pass, and had to wait for the gate agent to print out my physical pass.

Seat & Cabin Comfort on the A320neo

Avianca’s aircraft feature Recaro slimline seats in Economy and Premium, which is the airline’s business class product on shorter-haul flights. The economy cabin is laid out in the traditional 3-3 configuration, with regular economy seats offering 30-31 inches of pitch. Avianca Plus seats, which are extra legroom seats, offer 34-36 inches of pitch.

Today, I snagged an emergency row exit seat, which meant more space on this flight. I’ve never been more thankful for airline status.

For reference, I’m 6’1″, so I was fairly comfortable on this flight. However, back in 2023 I flew Avianca from Costa Rica to Washington Dulles, and I didn’t manage to get an extra legroom seat. All I can say is that my knees were brushing up against the seat in front of me.

Dining & Beverages

Avianca has an onboard bistro program called Café del Cielo, where you can purchase refreshments throughout your flight.

On today’s long flight, I opted for a cup of coffee, which wasn’t half bad! Colcafe was definitely the right choice to keep me going. Beware that they only have powdered creamer, in case that’s a dealbreaker for you.

You can take a look at the Avianca onboard menu here:

In-Flight Entertainment & Connectivity

Avianca has complimentary entertainment that you can watch on your phone or tablet via their Avianca on Air platform. They unfortunately do not have functional wifi on their aircraft, but you can use the connection to view information on your flight and the flight map.

Final Verdict: Is Avianca Economy Worth It?

Avianca has, in recent years, taken a turn toward being a low-cost carrier, and it shows. While they offer low cash rates to Latin America and fantastic redemption rates with their LifeMiles frequent flyer program, those miles can best be used on other Star Alliance partners. The experience on Avianca is not bad, but its not great. The legroom and comfort on average is poor, but the service is generally good. It really is an airline that does some things well, and other things poorly. It truly is one of those airlines that is really convenient but at a price (your comfort).

Overall Rating: 6.25/10

What are your thoughts? Have you flown with Avianca in Economy? Let me know in the comments!

As always, Live Life One Trip at a Time!

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